The present invention relates to implant systems for fixing various types of prostheses to bone. The invention is particularly useful for fixing a dental prosthesis to the lower or upper jawbone, and is therefore described below with respect to such an application, but it will be appreciated that the invention can be used in many other applications.
Implant systems are fast becoming an accepted mode for tooth replacement and/or for anchoring other types of dental prostheses to a jawbone. Such implant systems generally include an implant constructed for implanting into the bone, and an abutment constructed to serve as a support for fixing a prosthesis to the bone. A critical factor in a successful implant is the precise angulation of the abutment, which, among other factors, affects the ability of the resulting prosthesis to absorb shocks and distribute occlusal stresses to the bone/implant interface. A large number of implant systems have been developed to improve this ability, but efforts are continually being made to provide improved implant systems in this respect.